PRICK AND DING #36:BYE POLAR BEARS

23 Jan 2013
by Johnno Casson
1 comments

Each week Fresh On The Net invites an artist or band to answer a short series of questions in Prick & Ding: the two and a half minute interview. It's convenient and quick - like enjoying a tasty microwave meal!

THIS WEEK; BYE POLAR BEARS

Bye Polar Bears is the project name for an anonymous musician, writer and producer based in Wiltshire.

I think his biography explains this so much better than I could do in a month of sundays:-

It started when not gigging or recording, jobless and skint; the music is a specific style, electronic, acoustic, pop, folk it’s all in there.

Its either a BPB song or it isn’t. The music is all created in a home studio, slightly chaotic with notes, lyrics, vinyl records and instruments all over the place. The easy thing to do would be to bring other musicians in to help record but this is the project of one person and to keep the feel of the music right that is how it has to be.

Sometimes it is necessary to learn a new instrument before recording a song. When a song is right for ‘Bye Polar Bears’ it gets recorded; when enough are recorded there might be an album, Some live performances might happen in the future, but for the moment its just one person in a studio recording with no interference or input from anyone else.

bye polar bears

I feel a real infinity to this guy as his method’s echo my own in many ways but we are not here to talk about me,we are here to talk about the wonderful artist Bye Polar Bears.

I think their song ‘High Tide'(below) is quite simply one of my favourites songs of the last year.Its music that I think captures my ‘warm & toasty’ label to a tee.It dances with rhythm & melody,sweet melody.When that chorus hits it reminds me I’m alive,it tells me to hope,to trust & enjoy what my ears find & to incorporate a spring in my step as I go about my day.I hope you hear much of this yourselves when you listen.

The music of Bye Polar Bears is really well put together,with layers of loveliness that allow the songs to breath,to rise & fall,to connect.

Great musicianship(with drumming that Steve Gadd would be proud of) aligned to fine production says this guy knows his way around a song.

Kicking up some dust as they go about their business,DJ’s are already cottoning on to their goodness-you will be hearing lots more about Bye Polar Bears I have absolutely no doubt.

Prepare your stereolaptopogram,make yourself comfy and be ready to open your hearts to Bye Polar Bears

OFFICIAL | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

 

1. What are you up to at the moment?
Sat in my studio, thinking about making a sandwich, probably something spicy, feeling happy and glad that I got asked to do this.

2. Favourite childhood memory?
My first guitar lesson. It changed my life. It was in the back of music shop in a haze of cigarette smoke I got taught how to play wonderwall.

3. Hero?

4. Villain?
Simon Cowell is a pretty horrible bastard and a selection of various mainstream radio dj’s, but enough about that. I’m sure i’d love them if they started playing my music so that makes me a villain and the circle is complete.

5. What/who makes you laugh?
I really love cynical bastards, I’m loving John Richardson at the moment. In day to day life, kids tend to make me laugh, they don’t give a dam what they say.

6. Describe what you do?
Sit in a make shift studio in the west country, surrounded by instruments and put tracks together piece by piece. Normally starting with a guitar arpeggio and then feeling out a groove on my drums. Because it’s just me there are no boundaries and I can do whatever I like. This is the first time i’ve ever experienced it like this.

7. Who’s hair would you like to have for just one day?
I would love to have Don King’s hair, that is just immense.

8. Best musical experience to date
Playing Glastonbury festival in an old band of mine. It was incredible, you could see  people for miles and miles. It’s hard to beat that!

9. What artist inspires you?
So many people for so many different reasons. For this project, Alt-J & Death Cab were my biggest influences

10. What does Fresh On The Net mean to you?
A place to send music, a place that supports people like me and a place that does what ever the hell it wants. In ‘Bye Polar Bears’ very short time on this planet, it has been a huge help! The project has gained serious interest all thanks to this site and its team. I thank you all.

Johnno Casson

Johnno Casson is a London-born/Colchester-based singer, musician, songwriter and show-off. He also compiles and releases compilations and is a serial supporter of new music. Johnno releases his own music as Snippet ,Old Tramp and also under his own name Johnno Casson.. As far as we know he was the most-played artist ever on Tom's legendary late night Fresh On The Net radio shows on 6 Music - having been featured no less than 18 times and appearing as an interview guest. You can also find Johnno on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube...

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